With the slumping Hamilton out of the lineup Saturday night for what manager
Ron Washington called a “mental break,” the Rangers plumbed new depths in
offensive failure Saturday night. They went hitless in 13 at-bats with runners
in scoring position during a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Rangers
Ballpark in Arlington.

The Rangers’ previous worst 0-for with runners in scoring position this
season came June 2 against the Los Angeles Angels. With old friend C.J. Wilson
starting, the Rangers went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in that
loss.

This defeat cut the Rangers’ lead in the American League West to 31/2 games over white-hot Oakland. The Athletics trailed
by 13 games after a loss to the Rangers on June 30.

The blackout caused a hitters-only postgame group therapy session. The
gathering focused on what is eating at the psyche of an offense that is hitting
.180 with runners in scoring position in July.

Only Houston has a lower average for the month, at .177. Houston is also 2-22
in July.

Perhaps this team needs a run-producer more than a pitcher from a field
whittled down to candidates such as Tampa Bay’s Wade Davis and James
Shields.

“The biggest thing is not focusing on the result but playing our style,” said
Michael Young, who had two at-bats with runners in scoring position Saturday.
“Making sure offensively we’re doing things we’re accustomed to doing. It’s time
we got back to that.

“The mentality of this team has always been blue collar, and I expect we’ll
rely on that now.”

The disconnect for the Rangers is they are creating opportunities only to
wilt when asked to convert.

They had four chances with a runner at third and less than two outs and
scored only once, on Mike Napoli’s grounder in the ninth inning. In each case,
the White Sox were conceding a run by playing the infield back.

The Rangers put the first two batters on base three times in the first seven
innings against starter Philip Humber, who was 3-5 with a 7.55 ERA for his
previous 12 starts. The Rangers scored in only one of the innings, on Napoli’s
leadoff homer in the fifth.

The Rangers did not make it hard on the White Sox. Of the 13 outs with
runners in scoring position, nine came on strikeouts or grounders.

“If we start swinging the bat with some runners in scoring position, we can
turn this thing around,” Washington said. “That’s what’s killing us right
now.”

Washington had a chance to use Hamilton in the seventh, when the Rangers put
runners at first and third with none out for the bottom of the order.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura thought Hamilton would appear and had
left-hander Leyson Septimo prepare in the bullpen. Washington determined
beforehand that this would be a complete day off for Hamilton and kept him on
the bench.

Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry each struck out against reliever Jesse Crain.
The opening passed when left fielder Dayan Viciedo made a sliding catch on Ian
Kinsler’s sinking liner.

“Our hitters are too good not to get those guys in,” Rangers hitting coach
Scott Coolbaugh said. “ I see them battling, but it’s not happening. We’re
trying to weather the storm and keep grinding.”

Rangers starter Matt Harrison allowed two-run homers by Paul Konerko and Adam
Dunn, the White Sox engines, to put the Rangers down 5-0 in the fifth. That is a
near-insurmountable deficit for the Rangers.

They have rallied to win when trailing by more than three runs only once all
season — against Seattle on April 9. The offense was firing on all cylinders at
that time. It is sputtering now.

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